Havana, September 5 (RHC) - More than 50 Cuban volleyball players have signed for next season in clubs in 14 countries under the aegis of the island's Federation, although the figure could increase, said a senior director of the sport.

"To date we have approved a total of 51 contracts at the Inder level, 21 in the women's and 30 in the men's," said Osvaldo Martínez, methodologist of the Cuban Volleyball Federation (FCV), in a dialogue with Radio Habana Cuba (www.radiohc.cu).

With more than a month left for the closing of signings in its first stage - October 15 -, the figure is close to the highest reached in a season (2022), in which 56 figures, including two coaches, signed in clubs in other countries.

"The population of contracted players in both sexes should increase gradually as it has been growing in recent years," said Martinez and specified that of the 51 signed 36 are enrolled in the national teams.

He emphasized that one of FCV's main objectives is to recruit players in the main leagues of the world, but warned that for this to happen, a "staggered" development must be achieved.

MEN AT THE FOREFRONT

Although the greatest pages of glory of Cuban volleyball have been written by women, with three Olympic and world crowns of the "Spectacular Morenas of the Caribbean", in terms of contracts, men have the upper hand.

"In the men's game, we have managed to place several players in key leagues: Italy, France, Turkey.... Many have had an outstanding performance in recent years, which shows that there is growth. That there has been a potentialization of our players towards those leagues," he added.

Since a new policy for the sport was approved (2013), volleyball was a pioneer in terms of signings. Javier Jimenez (Paok of Greece in 2014) was the first Cuban athlete hired and since 2017 the number of signed players has always exceeded twenty.

Several figures have excelled in leagues in America and Europe, some with notable prominence in their clubs such as Miguel Angel Lopez (Sada Cruzeiro), Jesus Herrera (Perugia) and Marlon Yant (Lube Civitanova).

For the coming season, most of the members of the national team have renewed their contracts, while several young players will be joining other leagues, with their debut this year in China, Germany and Austria.

WOMEN TO ITALY

"This year for the first time we inserted two players in the Italian League, Dezirett Madam and Ailama Cesé, said the federation official and expressed hope that they will be the "first of a group that could gradually climb" to higher level leagues.

He underlined that the women's team has tried to insert players in fundamental teams in Europe and pointed out in this sense the agreement with the Russian club Uralochka, directed by Nikolai Karpol, who "has given us support for the growth of our players".

"The most important thing (for FCV) is not the number of recruits, but the quality and the possibility of growth according to the interests of our national teams, in order to reach the stellar levels we have been used to in previous years. We are paving a path to be able to get there again," he concluded.

Cubans signed to date for next season

1 AILAMA CECÉ FEM ITALIA Azzurra Volley Firenze

2 DEZZIRET MADAN FEM ITALIA VOLLEY GROUP ROMA SSD ARL

3 AIDACHI AGÜERO FEM RUMANIA SPORT|V CORONA BRASOV

4 ALEJANDRO M. GONZALEZ MAS CZECH REPUBLIC CESKE BUDEJOVICE

5 BRYAN CAMINO MAS AUSTRIA SK ZADRUGA AICH

6 CLAUDIA HERNANDEZ FEM TURKEY Konya Eregli Belediye

7 EDISLEYDIS REYEZ FEM ROMANIA FOTBAL CLUB ARGEȘ

8 LISANIA GRAFORT FEM ROMANIA FOTBAL CLUB ARGEȘ

9 GREISY FINE FEM ROMANIA C.S.M. CONSTANSA

10 JESUS HERRERA MAS ITALIA Sir Safety Umbria Volley Perugia

11 JOSE CARLOS ROMERO MAS PORTUGAL Fonte do Bastardo

12 JULIO A.GOMEZ MAS AUSTRIA SK ZADRUGA AICH

13 JULIO C. CARDENAS MAS ITALIA S.S.C.D. PALLAVOLO PADOVA

14 LAURA B SUAREZ FEM ESPAÑA Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

15 SULIAN MATIENZO FEM SPAIN LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA

16 LUIS VIDAL MAS SPAIN Club Polideporüvo Conqueridor.

17 MIGUEL ANGEL LOPEZ MAS BRAZIL Sada CRUZERIO  

18 ODAIMIS LELIEBRE FEM SPAIN Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

19 YAMILENA RUIZ FEM SPAIN Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

20 REY ISAAC FLORES MAS BRAZIL AP Artur Novales

21 THALIA MORENO FEM GREECIA ACADEMY Protathlites Pefkon

22 VICTOR RAMON ANDREU MAS PORTUGAL Club de Viana

23 GRETELL MORENO FEM HUNGRIA UTE PROFISPORT KFT

24 CLAUDIA TARIN FEM HUNGRIA UTE PROFISPORT KFT

25 YENSY KINDELAN FEM HUNGRIA UTE PROFISPORT KFT

26 CARMELA MASSIP FEM RUMANIA FOTBAL CLUB ARGEȘ

27 YELENNI DIAZ FEM RUMANIA FOTBAL CLUB ARGEȘ

28 DIARIS PEREZ FEM RUMANIA Academia Szent Benedek

29 ELIESER ROJAS MAS PORTUGAL SANTO TIRSO

30 JESSICA AGUILERA FEM ROMANIA CSM CORONA BRASOV

31 JOHAN LEON MAS GREECE Pigasus Polichnis

32 ADRIAN GOIDE MAS GREECE ATHLOS ORESTESIADA

33 JOSE POZO MAS PORTUGAL SANTO TIRSO

34 ROAMY ALONSO MAS ITALIA PIAZENCA

35 THIAGO SUAREZ MAS ROMANIA MUNICIPAL ZALAU

36 LYVAN TABOADA MAS ROMANIA MUNICIPAL ZALAU

37 ALEJANDRO RODRIGUEZ MAS CHINA Tianjin ShiPinJiTuan

38 ANGEL GONZALEZ MAS CHINA Tianjin ShiPinJiTuan

39 ALEXIS WILSON MAS CHINA Tianjin ShiPinJiTuan

40 ENDRIEL PEDROSO MAS CHINA Tianjin ShiPinJiTuan

41 DAGMARA NAVARRO FEM TUNEZ Feminin De Carthage

42 DENYS GONZALEZ MAS CHINA Nanjing Broadgastav TV

43 HERMES QUEVEDO MAS HUNGRIA KAPOSVARI ROPLABDA

44 TOMAS LESCAY MAS HUNGRIA KAPOSVARI ROPLABDA

45 WHITNEY JAMES FEM HUNGRIA UTE PROFISPORT KFT

46 ANGEL SUARES MAS TURQUIA ARKAS SPORT

47 CARLOS CHARLES MAS PORTUGAL Alvarez de Gondomar

48 OSNIEL MERGAREJO MAS ITALIA POWER MILANO

49 JAVIER CONCEPCION MAS FRANCIA Stade Poitevin Volleyball

50 JOSE MASSO MAS ALEMANIA FIEDRICHSHAFEN VOLLEYBALL

51 JAKDIEL CONTRERAS MAS FRANCIA G.F.C.AJACCIO VOLLEY-BALL